New environmental standards and increasing fuel costs have required that vehicles function more efficiently. Enhancements to the individual systems of the vehicle, as well as the integration of these systems may offer increases in the overall efficiency of vehicle operation. A vehicle cooling package, for example, operates less efficiently when warmer air flow is provided to the system as opposed to cooler air being provided. Warm or hot air flow often results when hot air from an engine is allowed to escape from the engine compartment of the vehicle and enter the engine cooling package. Inasmuch as the air from the engine compartment is generally warmer than ambient air, unless the warm air from the engine is channeled away or separated from the air intake for the cooling package, the cooling package will operate less efficiently than would be the case with a cooler flow of air.
The constriction and relative locations of the components of the vehicle may enhance opportunities for warm engine air to flow into the engine cooling package. For example, many vehicles require movable panels, such as hoods covering engine compartments, so that inside internal components of the vehicles may be accessed quickly and easily. Vehicle panels that are easy to move or remove, however, often provide paths for air to enter or exit the area where the vehicle panel attaches to the vehicle body. Warm air, for example, may exit all engine compartment near where a hood connects to a vehicle body. Inasmuch as the air intake to the engine cooling package is typically disposed to draw outside air into the cooling package, if warm air escaping from the engine compartment is drawn into the vehicle's cooling package, the cooling package will function less efficiently than if cooler air is provided. Thus, it is desirable to minimize or eliminate air paths from the warm engine compartment in the vicinity of the air intake to the vehicle cooling package.
Vehicle panels are often rigidly connected to the vehicle by nuts and bolts, hinges, and linkage systems. These panel systems are often difficult to open, and often occupy valuable space within the vehicle compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,623 to Michael C. Brandl et al. (the '623 patent) discloses a sliding hood for a tractor. The '623 patent discloses modifications to a machine hood such that the hood is easier to remove, allowing the tractor hood to open and close by sliding. The arrangement of the '623 patent disclosure provides only limited improvements to the functionality of a vehicle hood, however, and further enhancements are desirable.
Any modifications to either the internal systems or the exterior of a vehicle, however, ideally should not interfere with general operation of the machine. For example, operators of vehicles must have adequate sightline to allow them to safely and efficiently operate the same. More particularly, operators must be able to view as much of the terrain around them as possible, not only to permit them to efficiently operate the vehicle, but also to ensure safe operation. In this regard, blind spots and obstructions to the operator's vision should be reduced as much as possible.
It is therefore desirable to provide vehicles that may be operated safely and efficiently. The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the shortcomings of the art set forth above.